Thursday, January 24, 2013

An Interview with Marisa Adams

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Marisa Adams, who has self-published her first book, Is Love Enough. I wish I could say I discovered Marisa, but sadly I can’t. She discovered me. (Yes, I’m doing a happy dance because someone noticed me. Sorry, I digress.)Is Love Enough is a book I REALLY want to read. Unfortunately, my reading list is a little long at the moment, but I didn’t want any of you to miss out on this new author. Her overall review scores are amazing, with almost everyone giving her 5 stars. So go grab your credit card, sit back and learn a little bit more about Marisa Adams.

Marisa Adams is an avid reader with an immense passion for great love stories. She is an educator, wife, and mother but always finds the time to squeeze in a little time to get lost in the worlds of her characters. She hates doing laundry, loves to cook meals for her family, and would rather be curled up with a great book (or typing away on her laptop) than almost anything else. She has been writing for years and has finally decided to branch into the world of novels.Marisa believes in love at first sight and happy endings. Each of her books will remind you that romance and true love still exist even in today's fast paced world.

Hi, Marisa. Thank you for joining me today. You’re new to the publishing world. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about you.

Hi, Kim! Thanks so much for having me. I’m excited to be here! Aside from what you can read about me in my bio, I can tell you one tiny secret about me…I’m addicted to Dr. Pepper. Seriously, I think it is the best drink ever invented and I drink entirely too much!

In all honesty though, I’ve lived a fairly ordinary life. I have lived in a sum total of three different places. I grew up in Katy, TX a suburban small town West of Houston with a fabulous school district that I returned to work in after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University. My four years in College Station, TX left me with a great respect for tradition and the love of my best friend. We married while still in college and moved to Katy after graduation. In 2011, my husband’s company transferred him to the Fort Worth, Texas area, so we moved which has been an extremely interesting transition for me. Not only did I leave my family and hometown behind, but my career as well; my husband and I made the decision to live off one income so I could be a full time Mom to our daughter.

I started freelance article writing as a way to keep my mind going and earn a little extra income. Overtime, I realized I should break out my manuscript from a few years ago, rework some of it, and publish the story.

What made you decide to become an author?

I have always enjoyed writing and was blessed to have some fantastic teachers who encouraged it along the way. In fact, I wrote my first short story as part of an alternative assignment in my 8th grade US History class. My teacher had some very forward-thinking teaching philosophies and allowed us to choose from a variety of project options; I chose to write a historical romance to cover portions of the Civil War. One day, I’d love to revisit those characters and investigate turning it into a more expanded story. From that moment on though, I was lost to the art of writing. I love being caught up in the worlds my characters help me create.

As it should be though, life happened between the 8th grade and now! I graduated from college and became a teacher (ironically, I also taught 8th grade US History). Several years later, I moved into the world of public school administration. My writing got lost in the midst of students, extracurricular activities, graduate school, being a wife, and being a mom. But, I made the commitment to continue writing and slowly, but surely, I was able to finish Is Love Enough.

After a drastic life change (drastic for me anyway!), writing has become my full-time gig. For now, I’m choosing to focus on sweet romances because I love the fact that my eight year old daughter knows Mama is a writer, can talk about my books, and could potentially read over my shoulder for a moment without being exposed to content I’m not ready for her to see just yet.

I’ve done several moves because of my husband. Trust me, it is ALWAYS drastic and life changing. Is Love Enough is your first book. Please tell us a little about it?

I actually began the story years ago while I was at an education conference in San Francisco. While there, several other teachers and I were walking around and we saw Michael Keaton coming out of a store. I remember going back to the hotel room that evening and wondering what would happen if a single teacher happened to meet a single actor while she was in town for a conference. From there, the first official scene of Is Love Enough was born.

Oh my gosh, I LOVE that. Sorry....Please continue.

One of the things I most enjoy about this story is that Jason and Rebekah’s relationship evolves over time. Yes they meet and have an instant connection but they do not immediately fall in love with each other, nor do they immediately fall into bed together. I am a big believer in love (or at least a strong connection) at first sight but also feel it should be realistic and I tried to accomplish that here.

I also enjoyed exploring Rebekah’s hesitancy for love. She has been hurt and truly believes her life is better without a deep love. Of course, for someone who has a huge heart like her that just is not possible. But, she will not give her heart away to just anyone; he will have to be trustworthy, committed, and in the relationship for the long haul. Fortunately, she finds that in Jason.

You’re a self-published a new author. What’s the one thing you wish you would have known before you started your journey into writing and the publishing world?

Kim, I wish someone would have told me that writing the novel would be the easiest part (and that wasn’t necessarily easy!). In all seriousness, it is difficult working as an Indie author. You are simply one name in the midst of a sea of other, more well-known authors and you have to work to get your name out there. That is one thing I love about blogs like yours; you are willing to read and review the work of independent authors and help us spread the word about our novels.

Do you currently have anything you’re working on?

I have a novella coming out soon that will offer readers a glimpse into the future of Danny and Nikki Camarelli (two characters from Is Love Enough). These two have been married for ten years, and together for fifteen, when a misunderstanding threatens to drive a wedge between them. Throughout the novella, readers will also have the opportunity to see how Jason and Rebekah are doing as well.

In addition to the novella, I am working on my next full length novel which should be out this summer.

Are your books apart of a series? If so, are they standalone or are they connected?

The novella is definitely connected to Is Love Enough; however, it is designed to be completely standalone. Readers could read the novella first and not be lost at all. For the other works in progress, they are also standalone novels. But, both of the heroines in the next two full length novels are teachers just like Rebekah, so it is possible they may pop up in each others’ stories from time to time. I’m never opposed to a series; I just like each story to stand on its own so readers are not forced to read previous stories, or in a particular order, to understand what is going on in their current novel.

Thank you Marisa for stopping by and answering some questions for me. I love stories where the characters grow and find out things about themselves. I also LOVE happy endings. I looking forward to reading Is Love Enough. Thank you again for bring this book to my attention.

Thanks again for having me on your blog! And thanks to any readers out there as well!

Love is a powerful thing; but, sometimes, love isn't enough. At least, that's what Rebekah Thomas believes. In her younger, more naive days, Rebekah thought love could conquer all; that was before the death of her husband, and high school sweetheart. Now she believes life is easier without it.Ever the romantic at heart, a failed marriage and cinema glitter is not enough to stop famous actor Jason Taylor from believing the right woman for him is out there somewhere. Tired of his undeserved playboy reputation, he unexpectedly finds the forever kind of love miles away, with a small town teacher.Rebekah and Jason could bridge their different worlds together, but this sweet and compassionate teacher has trouble letting him in. Just as she is convinced they could have a chance, one moment threatens to destroy everything they have built. Can Rebekah finally see the truth - that sometimes, love is all you need?

Marisa would like to do a giveaway in order to get her books into the hands of as many people as possible!!!! So she’s offering up a winner’s choice of either an autograph print copy or an eBook of Is Love Enough. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.
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